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Stormtrooper Specialties
Stormtroopers are trained to fight in any number of environments and a great deal of resources and effort has been spent developing the equipment and training they need to fight from Deep oceans, to high deserts. While a lot of the primary training is handled on academy worlds such as O'paal or Carida secondary training is conducted throughout the Empire, from the undercity of Coruscant to the ruins of Echo base on Hoth, there are rumors that even some Star Destroyers have had advanced refitting of some of their deep storage bays to allow for environmental training for their embarked legions to allow them to simulate almost any environment. =Trooper Types= Sand Trooper thumb|left|220px|Sandtroopers on Patrol on Tatooine Training Equipment Scout Trooper Scout Troopers are the most unique and highly trained subset of the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps. From mastering the Aratech 74-Z Speeder Bike to learning to fight in smaller, lightly-equipped units, they multiply the information awareness of Stormtrooper units they are assigned to tenfold. Training Scout training has one of the highest mortality rates in the Stormtrooper legions. Initial scout training takes place on Carida in the wastes of Tarkin's Teeth where new trainees, called legs are introduced to the speeder bike and specalized scout armor. Once they have become familiar with their equipment and mastered basic vehicle skills, they then move into the primeval forests in the planet's more temperate zones. There they learn to maneuver at high speed around large and small obstacles as well as visual navigation. Almost half of the trooper who enter Scout training fail to make it through the second phase of training, of those almost all are fatalities. The third phase involves dismounted training, where troopers learn a variety of tasks from demolitions and survival skills to high precision shooting. Scout snipers have become some of the most dreaded marksmen in Imperial service. The fourth and final phase brings troopers back to the main academy, where they are assigned to lances and learn combined arms operations with Stormtrooper squads and TIE support assets. Following the fourth phase, legs are redisgnated troopers and dispatched to duty stations all over the Empire. Some Troopers pursue additional vehicle training where they learn to operate more specialized and advanced vehicles such as the Aratech 64-Y Swift 3 Repulsor Sled, BARC Speeder, AT-PT, and AT-RT. Scout Troopers are responsible for maintenance of their vehicles. It is expected that scouts will operate for great periods of time away from their bases and operating stations. Their vehicles are more important than their weapons, as without them they are typically under armed and under armored compared to other Imperial forces. Designators They are denoted by SCT-''' followed by a four-digit designation code. Since scout troopers are rarely ever deployed in great numbers, their designator codes are delegated to '''squadrons in blocks of 400. This 400 is further divided among the troops,platoons and lances keeeping each group segmented. This system allows up to 5 regiments of scout troopers to operate in the same tactical region, rarely have that many troopers ever been deployed into a single engagement. *Example: Trooper SCT-1234 would be in the 3rd Squadron, Alpha Troop, 2nd Platoon, 3rd Lance of the 1st Regiment in that tactical Region. Tactics A scout trooper's primary duty is to find and track enemy forces without engaging them. This role was changed during the reign of Emperor Valak. The Emperor expected every unit in his army to act more aggresively. Scout lances became skirmishers and raiders. Using their high mobility and speed to attack the enemy in under defended places before fading away to regroup and attack some place else. They would sabotage supply lines and attack the rear echelons. The intention would be to draw front line force away from the main line of resistance to defend or ideally pursue the scouts where they could use their speed to divide, envelop, and destroy. Order of Battle Scout Troopers have their own order of battle to better fit their operational strengths. Units of scouts are often times attached as an auxiliary to a larger Stormtooper unit, such as a legion. thumb|right|220px|Scout Troopers on Patrol Lance (5 Troopers) A scout lance is comprised of five troopers and their vehicles (including the lance's sergeant). Typically a lance of this type is very lightly armed, with most troopers preferring to have no weapons save a small blaster pistol strapped to their boot. Dismounted lances make use of any number of weapons, ranging from sniper blaster rifles to light-repeating blasters, depending on their mission. They may also be deployed to place anti-personnel devices, combat zone security, or to set up and operate combat surveillance equipment or communications relays. A scout lance is commanded by a Non-commissioned officer. Platoon (20 Troopers) A scout platoon is made up of four lances of troopers including the command element. Scout Platoons are often attached to Stromtrooper Centuries where they can serve as the eyes and ears of an assault force, or into a skirmisher or harasser role. Attacking vulnerable enemy supply lines and exposed flanks are their specialty. Scout platoons are typically commanded by a 1st or 2nd Lieutenant. Troop (80 Troopers) A Scout Troop is compromised of four Platoons of troopers. This is the main operational unit of Scout Trooper formations. They are attached to cohorts and provide a great deal of mobility for Stormtrooper units they supported. Scout Troops duties range from the typical scouting and recon duties to securing landing zones and exploiting breeches created by assaulting units to encircle and cut off pinned units or attack vulnerable rear echelon forces. Troops are typically commanded by Captains and Majors. Squadron (400 Troopers) Scout Trooper Squadrons are the largest element of Scout Troopers that are attached as auxiliaries to Stormtrooper forces. The are typically composed of five Troops and bear the following designations. First Troop is Alpha, Second is Beta, Third is Gamma, Fourth is Delta, and Fifth is Epsilon. There is no unified command element for the Squadron as most of it's component Troops will never fight as a unified force. For operational purposes, the senior Troop commander is typically given the Honorific of Squadron Commander. Regiment (2000 Troopers) Scout Trooper regiments are large organizations compromised of 5 squadrons. In some cases, where it concerns Scout Troopers attached to Imperial Stormtrooper commands, regiments are nothing but bureaucratic organizations that handle mundane things such as equipment assignment, pay and logistical support. However, this is not always the case, since the fall of Palpatine, some Scout regiments have operated as independant entities on battlefields. Imperial Scout regiments could be deployed more rapidly than any other unit in the Imperial Military. Lacking the need for bulky logistical and support networks, Scout Troopers could live off of the land. Their rapid mobility and unorthodox tactics make them a force to be reckoned with. Tactical Configurations While the Aratech 74-Z Speeder Bike is the primary mode of transportation for all scout troopers, it is far from the only vehicle dedicated to scout operations. Typically for every Three lances of speeder bikes, a lance mounted on Aratech 64-Y Swift 3 Repulsor Sled will act as a pursuit element, to harass retreating enemies. More rare are lances equipped with BARC Speeder, designed for the Republic commando forces as heavy speeder during the Clone Wars. Often they will be deployed in ceremonial functions as escorts or to use their ability to fly high to flank and attack opposing forces from many directions. Most squadrons have at least one one platoon level formation of scouts equipped with either the Swift Assault 5 Hoverscout or Mekuun Repulsor Scout. Heavier and slower than speeder bikes and swoops, these vehicles would typically be all of the heavy firepower a unit of Scouts could bring to battle. The Swift Asssault 5 even developing a fierce reputation as a 'tank killer'. On planets where the use of repulsor based vehicles would be impractical or in hostile environments, scouts could make use of large numbers of AT-PT and AT-RT walkers, typically in support of much larger formations of Stormtroopers in the larger AT-AT. Equipment Every trooper in every lance anywhere in the Empire is issued Scout Trooper Armor and a SoroSuub Q-2 Holdout Blaster. The F-31 Sniper Rifle is issued to at least one trooper per platoon. Dismounted troopers typically will field what they can find on the battlefield from ST-I's & II's to captured enemy weapons. All troopers typically carry a variety of grenades, though most tend towards flash or smoke. Their utility belts tend to be larger than Stormtroopers and they often carry survival gear in the large waist pouches, from sections of shelters to tools for their vehicles. Their helmets contain built in macro-binoculars as well as communications equipment, but often times at least one trooper in a lance will carry a long range comlink. The Lance seargent is also responsible for a pair of external macro-binoculars that have a far greater range than those built into the armor. Units of Note 555th Scout Trooper Squadron Swamp Trooper thumb|left|220px|Imperial Swamptroopers marshalling Wookiee prisoners Training Equipment Storm Commando (Shadowtrooper) The Imperial Storm Commando is one of the most feared warriors in the galaxy. The active camouflage properties of their armor causes them to often appear to have coalesced out of the shadows, giving them their nickname of Shadow Troopers. They are almost always deployed into high risk situations deep into enemy territory. Quite often they work with traditional Stormtrooper and Scout units who are trained to support commando operations.thumb|right|120px|Shadowtrooper taking aim at a target on Coruscant Training Storm Commandos are always selected from the ranks of veteran Storm Trooper units serving in the field. To qualify for Storm Commando training requires a trooper to have at least mastered five other environemental specialty areas,often called The Five S's; (Space, Sand, Snow, Sea and Swamp). Unlike any of the other specialty schools, there is no application process for Storm Commando training.ISOC makes any and all recruiting decisions, often without the Troopers knowledge. Instructors form selection teams that go out into the field and abduct selectees, before bringing them back to Carida to begin the first phase of the training cycle. Carida Phase The initial phase of Shadowtrooper school like every other specialty school takes place on Carida. It can last between one and three months as Trainees are brought back and fitted for their new armor and assigned primary and secondary specialties. While they attend classes to improve skills in their assigned areas, they are introduced to a variety of the special operations gear used by Shadowtroopers. Carida phase is also noted for it's grueling physical exercise regimen, in preparation for the more intense training phases to come. Kamino Phase From Carida, the trainee's will travel to Kamino, where advanced combat skills are mastered. Emphasis is placed on small scale tactical operations, hand to hand combat, weapons mastery, climbing and rapelling. Kamino phase typically lasts four weeks. It is here that trainees are place among their teams. Almost every exercises on the platforms of the aquatic world take place under live fire. Of all of the phases of Commando training, Kamino is by far the most dangerous. It is not uncommon for the fatality rate of trainees to hover in the 15-20% range. However those that do survive are some of the best warriors in the Galaxy. The culmination of the Kamino phase is an elaborate naming ceremony where trainees are given their call signs by their teammates and instructors. The team also chooses a team name at this ceremony. The next day, Commando teams ship out for Imperial Center. Coruscant Phase Once the commando trainees arrive on Coruscant, they begin training in urban operations. The Coruscant phase lasts 4 weeks. Just as in any other environment, Commando's learn to use urban terrain to their advantage, from navigating through subterranean sewer systems, to attacking and capturing high speed mag-lev trains. Clandestine operations are focused on more and more; moving in, achieving an objective, and exfiltration all without alerting the enemy becomes the standard procedure for any operation on Coruscant. Once they have completed the Coruscant phase, Commandos move to the Wastelands of selene for the final phase of their training. Selene Phase The ruins of the former Imperial capitol and the wreckage of the [[SSD_Palpatine|HIMS Dark Eminence]] provide an excellent training ground for the troopers. In the scar, Salvaged pieces of the Star Destroyer have been formed into a training environment where troopers learn to master shipboard operations, from attacking and siezing to destruction. Amid the ruins of Imperial City, mutated animals and survivors who were unlucky enough to be stranded on the planet become training exercises. While on Coruscant the focus was subtlety, the Selenian wastes allow the commandos to master destruction, from blowing up buildings with explosive charges to indiscriminate use of heavy weapons, what wasn't destroyed in the attack is fair game for any 'training' exercise ISOC wishes to conduct there. Designators Storm Commandos trace their heritage back to the Republic Commandos, even going as far as to set aside their typical alpha-numeric designators in favor of Call signs. Order of Battle Teams Teams are the basic unit of operations among Storm Commandos. Troopers are assigned Teams during the Kamino Phase of Shadowtrooper training and will remain with their team after they are sent out to the Corps. Just as individual troopers use call signs as designator, Commando teams forgo administrative names in favor of unique team names. Teams typically consist of nine members of at least senior trooper rank, lead by a senior NCO. Every trooper is specialized in an area and builds a secondary specialty in another area, allowing a Storm Commando Team to overcome almost any obstacle standing in its way with ruthless efficency. Century Storm Commando Centuries are a force to be reckoned with. They consist of ten teams and can function in the Stormtrooper order of battle in place of any Special Operations Century. Though that is where all similarities between Storm Commando Centuries and Special Operations Centuries end. Where SOCs are geared towards large scale special operations, SCCs focus on attacking an objective from multiple aspects and angles. Cohort Storm Commando Cohorts consists of 100 teams. There are very few targets in the galaxy that could resist a concentrated effort by a Storm Commando Cohort, fortunately they typically do not operate in groups that large. Instead a Storm Commando Cohort is mostly an administrative function, assigning it's teams to support Stormtrooper operations in their operational area. Only high priority sectors and task forces are assigned Storm Commando Cohorts. Equipment Units of Note Space Trooper (Zero-Gee) thumb|left|220px|Spacetrooper during an assault Training Equipment Snow Trooper thumb|right|220px|Snowtrooper attached to Task Force Blizzard on Hoth Training Equipment Units of Note Blizzard Force Rad Trooper thumb|left|90px|Imperial Rad Trooper armed with an ST-II Rifle Training Equipment Sea Trooper thumb|right|220px|Seatroopers training on Kamino Training Equipment =Specialized Armor and Equipment= Armor *Scout Trooper Armor is designed to offer minimal protection while allowing a great deal of mobility. * Zero-Gee Stormtrooper Armor thumb|left|90px|Mark II Spacetrooper Armor in use during 15 ABY *Storm Commando Armor *Sea Trooper Armor *Sand Trooper Armor *Storm Trooper Armor *Rad Trooper Armor *Swamp Trooper Armor Weapons *SoroSuub Q-2 Holdout Blaster *MX Heavy Blaster Pistol *Stormtrooper I/E-11 *Stormtrooper II *Stormtrooper III *E-Web Misc. Equipment =Specilized Vehicles= *''Gamma''-class Assault Shuttle Walkers *'AT-PT' *'AT-RT' *'AT-ST' *'AT-AT' *'AT-AT Swimmer' Speeders *'Aratech 74-Z Speeder Bike' *'Aratech 64-Y Swift 3 Repulsor Sled' *'BARC Speeder' *'Swift Assault 5 Hoverscout' *'Mekuun Repulsor Scout' *'Wave Skimmer''